Looking for photos of the arrester gear control box from a Swordfish?

[pogotc]

I'm trying to create a detailed 3D model of a Fairey Swordfish but really struggling with the arrester control box for the carrier deck hook, in the manual I can see a diagram showing it on the starboard side of the cockpit and that it looks something like this:

While that diagram is very useful I'd love to have some photos of the real thing but I'm really struggling to find anything, in a lot of cockpit photos it looks like it might be missing or I just can't see it. My usual go to for this kind of thing is the Military Aviation History video on YouTube where he does a walkaround of a Swordfish but he makes absolutely no mention of it.

So I'm hoping someone here might have a photo that shows what the real thing looked like?

 

[cvairwerks]

Here's one:
View: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/340655159305111345/

 

[pogotc]

That looks like a P-40 cockpit to me, it's definitely not a Swordfish

 

[ThomasP]

Hey pogotc,

I believe the mechanism is on the port side of the cockpit, low down and next to the pilot's seat.

 

[pogotc]

Hey pogotc,

I believe the mechanism is on the port side of the cockpit, low down and next to the pilot's seat.

View attachment 764154

Unfortunately that's the elevator trim wheel (which I also need to model), I know this as that is covered on the walkaround video:

 

[ThomasP]

Interesting, i can see why you are having a problem finding images of the mechanism. I have 4 different images (from 4 different Swordfish) of the right hand side of the cockpit, and none of them show a wheel type mechanism.

Is it possible a different mechanism was fitted on most Swordfish, and/or retrofitted?

There are relatively small release levers in the Albacore, Skua and Barracuda (all port side) for deploying the arrestor hook. The drag of the arrestor cable was supposed to force the hook to return to the secured position (I think).

Which manual and what date is the mechanism diagram from?

edit: corrected location of Albacore arrestor release lever

 

[pogotc]

Well I'm glad to see it's not just me having trouble with finding a photo of the control box!

This is the manual I'm looking at: FAIREY SWORDFISH MANUAL AP 1517 1937 RARE DETAIL Fleet Air Arm PDF Period WW2 | eBay it's from 1937.

The drag of the arrestor cable was supposed to force the hook to return to the secured position (I think).

Now that's interesting as I noticed on this video:
View: https://youtu.be/QIf7wMOGFM0?t=383 as the Swordfish lands the hook does seem to return back to the secured position exactly as you describe. From reading the section in the manual there is some mention of lowering and raising the hook but I think it's aimed more at maintenance crew rather than pilots so it doesn't have any checklists for instance for how to do a carrier landing.

So I think you might be right and that some time shortly after 1937 they changed the mechanism so the pilot didn't have to manually lower and raise the hook.

Thanks for the response!

 

[ThomasP]

Hey pogots,

You are welcome.

Please let us know if you ever find more information about this. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[pogotc]

Will do!

Out of interest what was the photo(s) you were looking at of the Albacore that showed the release lever?

 

[pogotc]

A bit more research and I found another instructional film from the war on YouTube and this one shows a Swordfish pilot moving the hook release lever:
View: https://youtu.be/CfzQwAbz9F4?t=665 (around 11 mins 8 seconds) to lower the hook.

So I think that confirms that they did get rid of the big gear control box shown in the 1937 manual and replace it with a small release lever!

 

[ThomasP]

Hey pogots,

My apologies, I was mistaken - the arrestor hook release lever in the Albacore is on the port side, as for the Skua and Barracuda. I have corrected my post above. Here is the image for the Albacore and the image index. See item #49:

By the way, excellent find re the Swordfish arrestor hook release lever in the video.

 

[Simon Thomas]

It is rather hard to locate a decent photo - these are the best I could find. I hope they are even the correct bit. Many of the cockpit photos I found don't have it fitted.